"I can't believe it's been already two weeks since you've became my bodyguard."
"Me neither...Time sure flies."
"Ugh, what time? it's just two weeks Jin."
"Longest and Craziest Two weeks of my life, Niko."
"As if I can describe it with anything else myself." Nikolai said scoffing while staring at Jin as he prepared them breakfast.
"Since it's Sunday...Where do you want to go Niko?" Jin asked casually while flipping the pancakes, "I had previous plans to hang out with Kimberly today, but she cancelled yesterday... again.
*Sigh* she said she's not going anywhere for a while." Nikolai said.
"Director Cliff voiced his concerns to me as well, he said he thinks that she is withdrawing from her role...if that happens, the whole project might be postponed." Jin replied.
"Director Cliff might have to find another actress to take her place, and unless Kimberly speaks up about her problems...I don't think there's much to do." Nikolai replied.
"I heard many offered you work this year, why did you choose to work on this one, with Cliff and Kelly?" Jin asked.
"I was hoping for a healthy work environment, for once." Nikolai replied sighing.
"I see." Jin said walking to him, he placed half of the hot pancakes in Nikolai's plate and the other half in his.
"Why the sudden curiosity Jin?"
"I thought you two were close, Niko."
"You mean me and Kim? Yeah...but that doesn't mean I know everything about her, everyone has stuff they can't talk about...I can't talk about Julian." Nikolai replied a little annoyed.
"Sorry, didn't mean to bother you." Jin said as he said, "You didn't mean it, but still did it anyways...*sigh* Just eat Jin, since I don't have plans, I'll go see Andrea in the hospital today." Nikolai replied.
...Few minutes later...
"Huh?"
"What?"
"Andrea sent me a text!" Nikolai said, "He did? he hasn't contacted you since the last time you visited him, it's strange." Jin asked.
"Salvatore wouldn't respond to me either since then, but that's not important! Andrea just asked me to go to his house if I want to see him, he said he's already there!" Nikolai said enthusiastically.
"Already?...so you want to go there, am I right?" Jin said.
"Yeah obviously!" Nikolai replied smiling, "this is the first time we see him since the day he woke up...How are we going to explain your little plan to him?...I bet it's the reason why he's ignoring you." Jin asked.
The smile on Nikolai's face faded a bit, "I know he's angry, Andrea usually cut me off for a while when he's mad at me." he said.
"I see...but don't let that steer you away from your goal, even if Mister Andreoli is against the idea, it's still your call to cancel our arrangement, and I'll follow whatever you say." Jin replied.
...Some Time later...
"Hey, Sal." Nikolai nervously greeted the man blocking Andrea's bedroom closed door from the outside, "Where's your bodyguard?" Salvatore asked, "Ah, Jin he's downstairs, One of the men asked him to wait there...you need him?" Nikolai replied.
"Not really, congratulations on getting together...you suit each other very well." Salvatore said in a manner that confused Nikolai, it made him think whether Salvatore was being sincere or sarcastic.
"Ah, thanks I guess? I'll go inside to see Andrea, if you don't mind can you move aside so I can get through the door?" Nikolai asked.
Reluctant but having no choice, Salvatore moved away barely enough for Nikolai to open the door and pass through.
The actor hurriedly pushed the door open and walked inside, he was a second in before Salvatore slammed the door shut from outside, startling Nikolai a bit.
"Ugh!...this man never fails to put me on edge." Nikolai said sighing, he turned his attention to Andrea who was sitting on his Bed, looking at his phone.
"Andrea...Are you alright?" Nikolai asked with a small smile as he approached the bed, his heart dropped as he realized Andrea's lack of response was because he was quietly sobbing.
"Andrea, what's wrong?" Nikolai asked as he sat next to him on the bed, he threw a glance over at Andrea's phone and saw that Andrea was reading an article about him and Jin.
Taking a deep breath, "It's not a real thing, it's just an excuse to help find who's after me, that's all!...I can't let the person who did this to you walk away you know." Nikolai said reassuring him.
"You don't have to explain yourself to me, you're not my boyfriend...you don't have to say anything to make me feel better." Andrea said wiping his face.
"C'mon! you can tell it's a lie, you hired him yourself." Nikolai said.
"I know it's a lie for now, but for how long? I've seen how natural it was for you two to be together.
This is what they call 'Second Chance troupe' in books, isn't it?...I didn't do a background check on you when we first met, because I trusted that you'll tell me everything with time.
Nikolai, you never told me about Jin! and now he's back, pretending to be your boyfriend again! the first time turned real, so what makes you sure that the second won't?
Besides, I stand by what I said...I'm not your boyfriend, you're not in love with me, so whomever you date is your business.
be happy with him, cuz I don't care." Andrea replied looking away.
"If you're really okay with it, Then why are you crying?! don't lie to me, you're heartbroken." Nikolai said, "It's true, and *sobbing* you don't owe me any explanation about this, but it still hurts...so let me cry." Andrea replied still refusing to look at Nikolai.
"Andrea...I was worried about you, is this why you suddenly cut me off?"
"Please Nikolai...I only texted you to ease your mind, I promised I'd tell you when I get released, and now that you've seen me...can you leave?"
Taken by surprise, "Andrea, Are you kicking me out?" Nikolai asked.
"Don't see it that way...I just want to be left alone." Andrea replied turning his face finally, Their eyes met briefly.
"Andrea c'mon, I know you're joking!" Nikolai said trying to sound cheerful.
Suddenly, "GET OUT!" Andrea screamed out of nowhere, Making Nikolai heart leap in his chest.
"Andrea, calm down!"
"JUST GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"
"Andrea what's gotten into you?!" Nikolai asked, but Andrea ended up screaming at him again until he left the room in a hurry.
"What's going on?! I heard screams?!" Salvatore asked but got ignored as Nikolai was Still baffled by his interaction with Andrea, passed by him without uttering a word.
Nikolai found himself walking Away in a state of shock, his mind was so preoccupied, unable to understand or focus as Andrea's screams rang fresh in his ears, he never expected this reaction at all.
Andrea wasn't even mad when he got shot, then why was he acting like this now?
The actor was then suddenly pulled back from his deep thinking when his heart leaped again, He felt some sort of pressure on his body that caused his foot to slip while he was coming downstairs.
Still in his state of shock, his body refused to do anything to help him regain balance or avoid the fall, his voice wouldn't come out either, no matter how much he wanted to shout.
And As his head hit the floor at the bottom of the stairs, he felt his consciousness leave him slowly, his eyes suddenly felt heavy and his whole body went numb.
Yet before Nikolai completely lost consciousness, he heard a voice scream his name, The voice was asking him if he's okay, "Jin my Head...feels warm." Nikolai responded before he gave in to the darkness.
...Some time later...
Running through the hospital with Ha-yoon by her side, "JIN! JIN! OMG ARE YOU OKAY?!" Seong-min Shouted as soon as she spotted her brother.
"Sister." Jin said standing up, he allowed himself to get wrapped in a hug by Seong-min, but kept his hands to himself, they were still stained with Nikolai's blood from earlier, and Jin was too shocked to wash his hands at the time.
"It's gonna be fine! I'm sure it's nothing serious." Ha-yoon said trying to reassure him but she herself wasn't sure of what she was saying.
"I already lost my mom this way *sobbing* it can't happen again, it's so unfair!" Jin said crying.
"It won't happen again, I'm sure he's okay! he didn't die on the spot! have some faith!" Seong-min replied, she ushered for Jin to sit down and when he did, she sat next to him stroking his back gently.
Salvatore and Andrea were sitting across of them, And Ha-yoon took notice of how Andrea was looking at them, for some reason she had a feeling those two has something to do with it.
Walking over to them, "I heard you got released today, congratulations." She said Andrea who sat there with an empty look on his face, "Unfortunately Now's not the time to be congratulating someone Miss, we're here for Mister Parmar as you can see." Salvatore glaring, replied to her.
"Just how did Nikolai fall exactly? was it really an accident?" Ha-yoon asked again, "Of course it's an accident, why don't you Ask his bodyguard? it's not my duty to protect him it's Mister Young's duty." Salvatore replied coldly.
"Tch, I can tell you don't give a shit if he makes it...I would bet that it was-!." Ha-yoon got cut off suddenly by Andrea, "Ha-yoon, right?" Andrea spoke up finally in a monotone voice.
"Yeah, what?" Ha-yoon said but Andrea didn't say anything else.
Puzzled and put off by the Manager and his man's behavior, Ha-yoon walked Away, "Min, I'm gonna get Jin something to drink, I'll be right back, so help him get cleaned up." she said earning a nod from Seong-min before she left.
"Follow her." Andrea said to Salvatore, "Huh? you mean that woman who talked to us?" Salvatore replied in a hushed voice.
Andrea turned his head slightly to Salvatore, he gave the bigger man a side glare that shook his entire body.
"I'll go now!" Salvatore said and stood up, he walked away in the same direction he saw Ha-yoon go to, leaving Andrea behind sitting there, and glaring at his own hands.
...Some time later...
"The patient survived, but he suffered some Fractures and a serious Traumatic Brain Injury." The doctor said, "What does that mean?" Salvatore asked.
"TBI, It mean Nikolai's head suffered a hard impact, there may be long-term issues with mobility, memory, cognition, and behavior that require long-term rehabilitation." Ha-yoon replied out of the blue, turning of their attention to her.
"That's exactly what I was about to say, are you a medical student young woman?" The doctor asked, "No, she's just a true crime fan...it's common knowledge for people like us." Seong-min replied in her place.
"Well it is just like the Miss has explained it, there's also a chance for nerve damages, but we cannot be completely sure until further examination, and until Mister Parmar wakes up again." The doctor explained.
"All of this from falling down the stairs?" Salvatore asked a little horrified, "There are on average over 1 million stair-related injuries every year according to some studies, and 6% of those incidents are severe cases that need medical attention." Seong-min spoke up.
"True crime fans sure know lots of things." Salvatore said skeptical.
"Don't worry yourselves, Mister Parmar has already defeated the hardest obstacle which is death, and we as the medical professionals we'll do everything we can in our power, to give him the medical attention he needs.
Now, if you excuse me, I need to pass through." the doctor said before walking away from the group.